Change on college campuses often begins with a single student willing to speak up. For Ronasia Staton, a junior animal science major at Tuskegee University, that change started with a simple but critical concern: access to purified drinking water.
Ronasia recently sat down with Historically Black Since News to share how she turned a campus-wide issue into a fully realized initiative—now sponsored by Amazon—bringing purified water cool-off stations to Tuskegee University.
During her freshman year, Ronasia noticed that reliable access to clean, purified water was limited across campus. What began as a personal frustration quickly became a larger realization: if she was experiencing this issue, chances were many of her classmates were too.
“I felt like, ‘Is anybody really going to care about water?’” Ronasia shared during the interview. “Is it really that serious? Is it really that big of a deal?”
Despite those doubts, she trusted her instincts and chose to act.
Rather than staying silent, Ronasia began having intentional conversations with her peers—listening, gathering insight, and confirming what she already suspected. The issue wasn’t isolated. It was shared.
Her persistence and willingness to start those conversations laid the groundwork for what would become the Tuskegee University Water Cool-Off Station Project. Today, Ronasia serves as the lead coordinator for the initiative, which has successfully placed water cool-off stations across campus with sponsorship support from Amazon.
For Ronasia, the journey is bigger than water stations—it’s about empowerment and student leadership.
“If you have an issue with something, nine times out of ten somebody else has that same issue,” she explained. “You’re sharing living quarters. You’re on the same campus. A lot of people share the same concerns whether you think it or not.”
Her advice to other college students who see problems on their campus but don’t know where to start is simple and powerful: start the conversation.
“Don’t be shy. Talk to your peers. Stay persistent with it,” she said. “If you feel in your heart that something is right to do, follow that.”
Ronasia’s story is a reminder that HBCU students continue to be innovators, problem-solvers, and leaders—creating real change not just for themselves, but for their entire campus communities.
Watch the full interview with Ronasia Staton on the Historically Black Since YouTube channel to hear more about her journey, the impact of the Water Cool-Off Station Project, and her advice for student changemakers. (34:00 mark in video below)
